About

FASHION + LIFESTYLE ILLUSTRATOR

In 2019, Denise illustrated for ECCO’s campaign and product launches. She represented the brand at live illustration events across the United States, drawing in New York, Washington D.C., Virginia, Maryland, Miami, San Francisco, San Diego, and Orange County, California. Her works have been featured on the social media channels of global brands including Moschino, L’Oréal, Roberto Cavalli, Kate Spade, Giambattista Valli, and Charlotte Olympia, as well as the stars of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. Denise has illustrated at live fashion shows during New York Fashion Week and Fashion Forward Dubai; clients have included Vogue Japan and Cosmo. She has worked with luxury and beauty brands, publications, festivals, and hotels located in NY, Canada, London, France, Brazil, Australia, Lebanon, and the UAE, among others. She has illustrated weddings, bridal and bridesmaid gifts, tattoo artwork, and other select private commissions. Her illustrations have appeared on billboards in Times Square.

Denise has licensed an exclusive wall art print collection with Oliver Gal in 2019. You can also find her prints MARRAKECH and IBIZA, based on her personal travels. Denise’s prints have been sold on Nordstrom Rack, Bed Bath & Beyond, Wayfair, Zulily, One Kings Lane, Saks Fifth Ave, and other major retailers. Later in 2020, Denise was featured in the upcoming book Hello Gorgeous: Empowering Quotes from Bold Women for Aspirational Thinkers, by Lola Sanchez.

In 2021, Denise was the first place winner of Vocal Media’s Members Only Challenge.

Denise uses a variety of media, including gouache, acrylic, ink, pastels, and brush pens. Her loose illustrative style has been described as charming and playful, known for her ability to “capture a moment.” Her works incorporate elements from urban sketching and cityscapes, nature, and botanical themes. She loves to explore the psychology of color and atmospheric mood in her works, experimenting with color pigments.

MIXED MEDIA VISUAL ARTIST

Beginning in 2018, Denise has expanded into the fine art world. Several of her originals are in private collections in the United States, and in 2019 Denise instructed classes in acrylic painting. In February 2020, she was part of her first group exhibition with Doug Rizio Art Shows: The Reflections Art Project Exhibition. In 2021, Denise was a part of J’AIPUR Contemporary’s exhibit W is for Woman. She has now consigned several of her works with Mana Contemporary’s Decentralized platform, also to be available on Artsy. Mana Contemporary is an expansive arts center with locations in Jersey City, Chicago, and Miami. For inquiries regarding these select works, please contact Mana Decentralized.

BACKGROUND

Denise graduated from Rutgers University, and attended a summer program at the George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs. Her professional background includes interning with the United States federal government and a major broadcast news network. She also completed programs with AmeriCorps and a grassroots diplomacy initiative. She was working in visa evaluations when she won a New York based contest to collaborate with an eyewear brand. Denise is self-taught in her artistry.

Early artistic influences include Fragonard, Gesmar, Toulouse-Lautrec, Edmund Dulac, and Japanese woodblock prints. Fashion illustrators that have inspired her are Rene Gruau, Georges Barbier, Jordi Labanda, and Izak Zenou. Favorite formative childhood readings were The Prince by Machiavelli, White Nights by Dostoyevsky, and the Decameron.

Her dream collaboration would be with Trent Reznor or Rihanna. Denise would love to have her works on puzzles and ceramic kitchenware— and to be featured in Art Basel one day.

In her free time she enjoys cooking, some satire, and watching soccer. She is from and based in the NYC metro area.

COMING SOON

See my collection on Saatchi, Society6, and my sketchbook for the Sketchbook Project at the Brooklyn Art Library — all available later this year.

LINK UP

For business inquiries: deillustrations [at] gmail.com

SOCIAL - Instagram: @deniseelnajjar

All images and content copyright © Denise Elnajjar.